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Title:
 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man

UK Distributor:  Manga Entertainment

BBFC Certificate:  15

Suggested Retail Price (SRP):  £19.99

Running Time:  150mins (approx.)

Audio Options:  English & Japanese 5.1 & 2.0

Subtitles:  English

Reviewer:  Rich (Webmaster)

 

With two series and three films already available in the UK, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Manga had already exhausted the Ghost in the Shell franchise.  But no!  There is still more Ghost in the Shell goodness, this time in the form of a film which truncates the main story of the first season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Now I know what you may be thinking.  I usually have a problem with films that are basically made up from clips of an anime series, it seems lazy and a bit of a cash in.  However, in this case it works really well.

The story is set in the near future and, as with every incarnation of Ghost in the Shell, focuses on the cybernetically enhanced agents of government agency Public Security Section 9.  The story starts when Section 9 member Togusa is contacted by a an old colleague from the police force, who has made a disturbing discovery.  He is a member of a special task force looking into an infamous string of cyber-terrorism attacks perpetrated by a mysterious hacker known as the Laughing Man, but he has found that his team's actions are being illegally monitored.  Shortly after contacting Togusa the policeman is found dead, and it soon becomes clear that his findings were just part of a much bigger plot.  An effective medicine for a seemingly incurable disease had been denied to the masses in favour of a type of therapy that doesn't work, and the high level cover up is just the start.  There's also the related blackmail of a number of medical companies, a crime reportedly carried out by the Laughing Man.  But was it really his doing, and why is someone so desperate to prevent the truth from being known that they'll stoop to kidnapping and murder?  The key to unravelling the mystery seems to be tracking down the Laughing Man, but even with their combined skills Section 9 will have a tough task tracking down someone who has eluded the authorities for six years...
 

Anyone who has seen the first series of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will recognise the plot.  As I mentioned at the start it's just a shortened version of the series' main storyline, so what's the point?  Well the point is that the original series was made up of 'complex' episodes, which followed the Laughing Man story, and 'Standalone' episodes which had little relation to the main plot.  This film cuts out the Standalone episodes and just focuses on the main story, and removes some of the excess dialogue that can sometimes bog

the series down.  The problem with films made up from bits of a series is that they can be disjointed, have TV quality animation and be completely impenetrable to anyone who has not already seen the series it is based on.  That Ghost on the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man doesn't do this is its greatest strength. 

The series had excellent animation anyway, but this has been brushed up for the film and looks better than ever.  The music is re-jigged and there also appear to be a few new tracks to bolster the already superb soundtrack.  However, the best thing is that the story flows really well.  There's only really a couple of moments when things seem to jump, the rest of the time the story is cohesive and still manages to get across most of the detail from the series.  Despite a series' worth of plots, counter-plots and interweaving plot strands, the film doesn't leave the viewer behind any more than Ghost in the Shell normally does.  You could easily watch this if you have never seen the series and still follow it, and that is a difficult thing for a film like this to pull off.
 

Studious editing means that the balance of action and drama is pretty much spot on, with neither fighting or dialogue overpowering the story.  The central characters are also developed sufficiently for you to understand and sympathise with them, particularly Togusa, Batou and Major Kusanagi.  However, other characters, such as secondary Section 9 members like Paz, Borma and Saito, are hardly developed at all.  It doesn't matter in the scheme of things as they are supporting cast members so don't really affect the plot, but it

seems a missed opportunity, especially considering the length of the film.  Even with the dialogue trimmed and the standalone episodes removed the film still weighs in at a hefty two and a half hours long.  This is longer than any of the previous films and the complexity of the story can make it a little bit exhausting at times.  The problem with Ghost in the Shell has always been that the storylines are always pretty high-concept and can be quite hard to follow at times.  This film is no exception, but somehow the multi-faceted story works surprisingly well in film format, and isn't as overwhelming as those in the other films.

The problem is the same as with any film based on a series - if you have the original series, which many readers no doubt will have, is there any point in buying it?  Well, it's a matter of convenience.  In real terms the differences between this and the Laughing Man story in the original series are pretty cosmetic.  It looks and sounds better than it did originally, and the dialogue is trimmed, but really it's strength is that it takes a story that was stretched over 26 episodes and made it into something you can watch in a couple of hours.  Don't get me wrong, the series is still superb and there's far more to it than just the Laughing Man plot, but it's not something you can watch in one go.  Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man is a good film that is great for newcomers and seasoned fans alike.  If you already have the series then you may want to think before getting it, but to be honest if you do pick it up you won't be disappointed.  Another great chapter in a great franchise, and a great introduction to the Stand Alone Complex series.

Extras

There are some really good extras on offer here, as well as the usual trailers there is also a special new Tachikomatic Days short and a documentary.  The Tachikomatic Days short is a cheerful comedy following the cute and curious Tachikoma tanks as they practice dubbing their roles in the film, it's great fun and a nice unchallenging aside to the film.  The documentary is the best thing though, clocking in at over 30 minutes long the bulk of it consists of a discussion between Major Motoko's voice actress Atsuko Tanaka and series director Kenji Kamiyama.  Not only does it give great insights into the making of the film, but it also includes behind the scenes footage from the film's Japanese dubbing and sound editing sessions.  Very good stuff.

Ratings

Feature:   Extras:
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